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PIERRE, S.D. – Due to expected interest, the South Dakota State Historical Society-Archives will be showing a film about the construction of the Oahe Dam twice on Sunday, Oct. 28, at the Cultural Heritage Center. The film will be shown at 2 and 3:15 p.m. in the Education Room.
The State Archives recently received several films of the construction of the dam. The contents of the free film to be shown on the 28th include earth work, closing the dam, aerial views, surge tank construction, cement work, and President Kennedy’s dedication speech on Aug. 16, 1962. Jamie Damon of Pierre, the student who wrote to President Kennedy asking him to attend the dedication, will be at the event.
October has been officially declared “Archives Month” in South Dakota with the theme, “Find your History in South Dakota.” The Oahe Dam construction film is being shown by the State Archives as the last of three programs in recognition of Archives Month.
“Our first two programs have had excellent attendance and we have had even more people tell us they’re coming for the Oahe Dam film, so we decided to show the film twice,” said Chelle Somsen, State Archivist for the State Historical Society at the Cultural Heritage Center. “Archives Month is an opportunity for us to highlight the different types of records that we have that document our history. Films, including home movies, in many cases are just as important as photographs or paper in verifying important events in our past.”
For more information about Archives Month visit the website www.sdhistory.org/arc/archivesmonth.
Regular hours for the State Archives are 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. weekdays and the first Saturday of each month. Call (605) 773-3804 for more information.
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The South Dakota State Historical Society is a division of the Department of Tourism and State Development and strives to help the state meet the goals of the 2010 Initiative by enhancing history as a tool for economic development and cultural tourism. The society is headquartered at the South DakotaCulturalHeritageCenter in Pierre. The center houses the society’s world-class museum, the archives, and the historic preservation, publishing and administrative/development offices. Call (605) 773-3458 or visit www.sdhistory.org for more information. The society also has an archaeology office in Rapid City; call (605) 394-1936 for more information.